Memorial Bridge engineer challenged at public hearing

PORTSMOUTH — The man who designed the replacement Memorial Bridge said Tuesday night the new bridge honors the legacy of the original bridge designer, while using many 21st century innovations.

Deborah McDermott

PORTSMOUTH — The man who designed the replacement Memorial Bridge said Tuesday night the new bridge honors the legacy of the original bridge designer, while using many 21st century innovations.

However, HNTB Corp. chief engineer Ted Zoli's explanation was followed by a plethora of comments by residents who said the bridge was out of character with the area and was designed with little or no comment from community members.

In an enthusiastic presentation to the more than 150 residents who packed City Hall, Zoli said HNTB was very aware of the work of John Alexander Waddell, who designed the Memorial Bridge in 1922.

"He wrote the book on bridge engineering," he said. "Many firms known as large bridge designers understand that most of our DNA passes through Waddell. When you replace a Waddell bridge, you have to live up to the innovation that came with his work."

Among the innovations, the gusset plates that have created such a rust problem in the current bridge have been eliminated. Instead, there are "spliced connections," which Zoli said are easy to inspect and can be replaced without affecting the overall stability of the structure.

The steel used on the bridge will actually be bent — "the biggest single development in steel fabrication in the past 10 years," he said.

The trusses are on the outside of the sidewalk, which will keep "salt-laden snow" out of the trusses and reduce rust. Moreover, all the truss spans are identical, which makes steel fabrication much faster and is "one of the reasons we're five months ahead of schedule."

The bridge is expected to be completed in the summer of 2013, months earlier than required by state specifications.

N.H. Department of Transportation project manager Keith Cota said the plan calls for a 12-passenger van with six-bicycle capacity, with bus stops at Prescott Park and Water Street in Kittery. It would run hourly from 5 a.m. to 1 a.m., and would be free.

When the audience was allowed to comment, few said they were happy with the bridge.

Portsmouth architect Lisa DeStefano proposed "a series of cables" from the top of the center span to the lower spans that aren't necessarily functional, but that would "harken back to the sweeps of the existing bridge. I know you have budget and timing issues, but I hope you will seriously consider adding some character back onto this bridge."

Her sentiment was echoed by several others.

"If the communities on both sides of the bridge devoted some time to bridge design, it would pay off in the long run," said Peter Somssich, who was a member of the stakeholder committee of the Maine-N.H. Connections Study that reviewed the viability of all three bridges that connect Portsmouth with Kittery. "The new bridge incorporates some of the features we want. On the other hand, we should be building a 21st-century bridge for the 22nd century."

Cota repeated that the bridge is being built under extremely tight constraints in both time and money, adding there's little room to maneuver.

That response frustrated Steve Workman, another member of the stakeholders' committee.

"We kept being told (during the connections study process) that we're dealing with the big picture, and there will be time to discuss the design. That's not what happened. What we're being asked to comment on is fluff," as all the substantive decisions have been made, he said.

Zoli said he would definitely consider some of the suggestions raised Tuesday night, particularly relating to lighting. Several people said the bridge should be a hallmark for residents and visitors alike during the evening, when lighting could create ambiance.

At least one resident said he came to the meeting not sure what to expect and thanked Zoli for his presentation.

"This is an honest design and more sophisticated than I expected," Portsmouth resident Richard Katz said. "Essentially, I'm giving you an 'atta boy.'"

Stephen Delgrosso of Archer Western Contractors, the builder for the project, said in response to another question that the company would hire as many local workers as possible.

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